One Word Prompts
by Lialane Graest
Summary: This is a series of fics that I write based off a single word. Some may include OCs, and nearly all will include Franken Stein.
1. Two For One

**A/N: This includes some slight shoujo-ai. You've been warned.**

* * *

She was happy for once, and Stein watched from the corner of the window in the door as she practically danced around the kitchen, humming and occasionally breaking into some song that he had never heard of before. There was a smile on her face though and he felt one trying to creep across his.

He had never seen Charlotte this happy, and curiosity was eating him alive to know what had caused it. He forced himself to not bother her though, staying in place and just watching as for the first time in months he saw happiness flitting through her soul.

The song would have been beautiful if Charlotte could carry a tune, but to Stein it was perfect. The woman was blissfully unaware of his presence as she did whatever it was she was doing, though he could clearly see the presence of flour, and he wondered if he had forgotten some important date or another.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost missed Marie coming home. A muffled curse slipped from him and he briefly debated ducking into the kitchen with Charlotte, but he figured that that would cause more problems than Marie simply finding the other woman cooking in her kitchen would. As quickly as he could, he slipped away from the kitchen door, darting into his research lab and seated himself at the computer.

The computer he hoped that Marie wouldn't realize wasn't on if she stuck her head into check on him.

She didn't, and Stein was slightly confused. He waited a while before venturing back out, but not before booting up his computer just in case. He snuck towards where he felt their wavelengths, expecting to hear shouting.

He never expected to hear both women humming and sing snippets of the same song, both of them busy in the kitchen and totally oblivious to him. _'Alright, I had to have missed something important or they wouldn't both be cooking and getting along so well.'_

Stein knew that Marie had figured out that he and Charlotte were… well, if not a couple, then close to it, before she had left for Oceania. It had certainly been awkward when Marie had been recalled from Oceania and had to stay at the Lab again. They had been making it work, though he and Charlotte had had to be incredibly careful; Marie may not be a genius, but she certainly knew that something was going on between the two of them, and with Stein almost twice Charlotte's age he knew he was in for a tongue-lashing from the other woman.

The only time that he had left the two of them alone together for any length of time he had come back when he felt their wavelengths spike and found them entangled on the floor, pulling each other's hair. It had been incredibly amusing for him, but the two women seemed to have garnered a mutual animosity for each other.

That had happened a year ago, before Marie had left, and that was why Stein was so confused about their current actions. But here they were, cooking together, singing and acting for all the world like old friends in the kitchen. He shook his head and just watched as the two chatted, burst into song, and even danced around with each other with smiles on their faces. Giggles and genuine laughter flitted through the air and he was completely perplexed.

Marie turned to the door, her arm over Charlotte's shoulder as they laughed. She looked at Stein then, and a sly grin crossed her face. She whispered something in Charlotte's ear and Charlotte looked up then. Both women grinned as Charlotte leaned against Marie and pressed her lips against the older woman's.

Stein took a step back, shell-shocked. He retreated to his research lab, the women's laughter echoing in his ears.

* * *

Marie and Charlotte doubled over laughing at the look on Stein's face.

"Well, I hate to admit it, Marie; that was worth it." Charlotte said as she finally caught her breath back. "I can't believe that he thought we didn't know that he was there the whole time. He's been watching me the entire day."

"You know how Franken is; he likes to think that we're all idiots. It's good to exploit that sometimes!" Marie laughed back.

"The whole singing idea though, I think that is what really drew him in." Charlotte said, moving over to the countertop. "He's so confused he's never going to remember that today is his birthday."

"Franken doesn't remember his birthday even when I don't try to distract him. Last year he came in while I was decorating the cake and looked at it like it was a snake. He then asked me if it was my birthday." Both women burst out laughing again. "I swear, sometimes he doesn't even know what day it is."

Charlotte pulled two jars of frosting out of the cabinets and sat them down beside the mostly cooled cake. Marie grabbed piping bags from another drawer and started filling them with half of the icing each. She handed one to Charlotte and they began piping on the cake. A few minutes passed and Charlotte leaned towards Marie and Marie began humming that peculiar song again. It masked what Charlotte was whispering though.

"_He's back."_ Marie resisted the urge to look over her shoulder, and trusted Charlotte's _Soul Perception_ that Stein was behind them. _"Give him a show?"_

Marie just grinned and with a sudden movement sprayed frosting into Charlotte's hair. Charlotte knew immediately what was going on and laughed, bringing her bag up to spray a line of frosting on Marie's chest. With a knowing wink from the corner of her eye that Stein couldn't see from the window she then leaned in and licked the frosting off of Marie's chest as Marie tilted her head back and laughed.

Stein's eyes went wide and he retreated again from the window.

* * *

'_Have they gone insane?'_ Stein wondered as he sat in his research lab. The door was locked behind him and he was staring at the women's wavelengths from what he hoped was relative safety. _'What could possess them to act like that around each other?'_

He watched for a while, his mind swirling, wondering if he could see the motes of madness around their souls or not. _'It's Marie. She's never shown any signs of being susceptible to madness. That can't be the cause! A spell?'_

He was so lost in thought that he jumped when he heard someone knock on the lab door. Marie's voice echoed through it a moment later. "Franken? Could you either come out here or let us in? We have something we want to give you."

Her voice echoed strangely through the metal and Stein felt himself shiver. Charlotte's call a second later did nothing to alleviate the strange feeling the man had. His feet almost didn't want to move as he stood and trudged over to the door, his hand trembling as he reached out towards the lock.

They pushed the door open once he unlocked the door. They stood side by side, their hand behind their backs and were both smiling. In one swift movement they both moved forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. Stein blinked and took a step back.

Laughter erupted from them and he just stared. Marie hooked her arm through his right one and Charlotte hooked her arm through his left and he found himself almost marched into the kitchen. In front of him, on the table, was a birthday cake.

_Happy Birthday, Franken! Surprise!_

He looked at them and they both just grinned up at him.

"We thought that we'd give you the birthday present all men want eventually, Franken." Marie said sweetly, her arm arching around his back as she stepped sideways against him.

Charlotte grinned as she mimicked Marie's movements. "We've decided that it's not fair to either of us to have you all to ourselves, anyway."

They spoke together and chills ran down Stein's spine. "We're going to share you."

He just stood there, shock and surprise on his face. It took him a moment to recover his composure. "That's crazy…"

Marie just laughed. "I've always wondered what it would be like to be a little crazy."

Charlotte grinned from his other side. "I told her we'd let her play sometime."

Stein looked down at the two women in his life and wondered suddenly if it was really as crazy as it seemed.

* * *

**A/N: A prompt for the word "Song" from TheAUWalker. I know, not much to do with it, but it spawned the whole idea.**


	2. Halos in the Sky

**A/N: This was written from the word "Halo".**

* * *

Stein was painstakingly typing down the notes from their latest mission when he felt her wavelength approach him, a slight tremor in it. He turned to look at her and stared. She was wearing a dress he had never seen before, her golden hair falling down over her shoulders in eloquent curls. She blinked at him shyly and he realized that she wasn't wearing her eye patch; that in fact, she had a prosthetic in. He hadn't even realized that she owned one.

"Marie?" The woman bit her lip and just held her hand out to him. Curiosity surged and Stein smirked as he took her hand and let her lead him. He followed her through the lab and almost stopped when he realized that she was leading him to the roof. She never said a word the whole time they walked until they reached the door that led outside.

"You have to close your eyes, Franken," her voice was low and soft and not her normal one. It seemed almost as if she was trying her hardest to be something other than herself, and Stein hesitated.

"Why, Marie?" He turned to look at the woman, and could see the nervousness in her familiar wavelength.

She bit her lip again and he chuckled slightly. "It's a surprise. Just close your eyes, please."

He decided to humor her, as he often did. "Alright, Marie."

She smiled happily as he closed his eyes and he felt her take his hand before he heard the door to the outside open and felt her move away from him, gently tugging on his arm. He stepped unsteadily behind her, stumbling slightly as his foot caught on the door jam, but he stayed on his feet. He peeked his eyes open and Marie's hand deftly plucked his glasses from his face.

"Marie," he started to complain, the world a bit fuzzy as he squinted.

"I asked you to close your eyes." With a sigh he did, and he felt her settle his glasses lopsidedly on his face. He reached up to adjust them as she started walking again. She stopped after a dozen steps and he kept his eyes closed this time.

Her wavelength approached him as her hand slipped from his and he refused to give her the satisfaction of opening his eyes again, a smirk on his face. He knew this game, and he could keep his eyes closed as long as she wanted him to. He didn't feel like having whatever she was wanting to do this time turn into a one sided argument.

He nearly lost when he felt her body stretch up his, her lips pressing lightly against his. It took every bit of self-control he had to not open his eyes, to not let his hands reach out to touch her. The feel of her lips lingered against his after she moved away from him, and Stein stubbornly kept his eyes closed, wondering what had gotten into her.

A few moments later he heard music and he sighed. "Marie, I don't like to dance."

Her hands touched his arms and he felt her move his right hand to her shoulder as she place his left hand on her hip. "We don't have to dance, Franken."

He felt her step towards him, his hands slipping around her as she laid her head against his chest, rocking slowly back and forth. He found himself mimicking the movement and sighed. "Can I at least open my eyes, Marie?"

Her voice was muffled. "No."

"I don't understand why not." Stein complained.

"Because it's a surprise, Franken." Marie countered.

The scientist sighed. "I have a report to be writing, Marie."

"It can wait."

Stein opened his eyes then and sighed again as he looked down at the woman. Her eyes were closed as she leaned against his chest, and even through the makeup he could see the exhaustion that was covering her. They had been on a grueling mission, neither one of them sleeping much in the last three days.

Stein hazarded a glance up and saw that she had taken great pains with whatever this plan was. There was a cloth spread out on one side of the door, away from where they weren't dancing. It was held down on three sides by bowls that he assumed contained food, and the fourth side had a pair of plates stacked on it.

Stein looked up in the sky, letting his body sway with hers and he felt the peace that was radiating from the woman now. She was obviously over her initial nervousness, though he never could understand why she was ever nervous around him.

'_It's not like I've conducted any experiments on her. Though, perhaps one that would replace her eye would be both interesting and appropriate.'_ Stein contemplated, staring up at the moon. A slight chuckle escaped him- the leering moon had a halo around it of silver light.

Marie opened her eye and looked up at him. "You cheated."

He smirked, moving his arms back to the dancing position. "You know I'm not good with following orders, Marie."

She just smiled as he fell into a slow dance routine, the pair of them sweeping across the rooftop. They danced in silence; Marie with her head against his chest, Stein looking up into the night sky. Marie kept catching his attention though, her golden hair shining in the pale moonlight, and he found himself spinning and twirling her as they danced, just to watch her hair capture the moonlight.

She laughed, every trace of hesitation and nervousness gone. It seemed as if the exhaustion that had covered them both had evaporated, and he found himself smiling. Though there was no music, the song she had started long since over; they danced to the song only the two of them could hear.

The resonance of their souls.

He dipped her low, her long hair falling away from her neck and, caught in the moment, Stein kissed her neck gently. Surprise showed on her face as they flowed into the next move and Stein smirked, enjoying the look.

Another dip, another kiss. A twirl where he caught her and held her against his chest a moment longer than was necessary, his hand resting not on her waist but her hip. Her face was heating up the longer they danced and Stein just smirked.

He was surprised when she pulled out of his hands when he twirled her, stopping opposite him and giving him a bow.

"I made dinner… breakfast… lunch. Whichever this is technically for us, Franken," she said with a smile, though he could still see the blush that was coloring her cheeks. He just smirked and walked over to meet her where she had the plates.

He looked up at the sky, a sudden idea forming as she glanced up. "What do you keep looking at, Franken?"

He borrowed a line he had heard Spirit say once, and thought appropriate. "Oh, I'm just curious about something."

"What's that?" She finished filling the first plate with food, and handed it to him as he answered.

"I was just wondering why the moon had your halo." Stein kept his face straight as he watched Marie's reaction.

It didn't disappoint.


	3. Beauty Unseen

**A/N: Our word this time? Epitome, courtesy of Yuu-chan. Featuring Insane!SteinxCharlotte**

* * *

She was, to his eyes, the epitome of beauty when she was spread open on his operating table. Her red blood accented the color of her skin perfectly. The healing wounds, intricately stitched by himself, were a roadmap to the beauty that only he could see. Each night he would add something new to her, enhancing her innate beauty, raising the bar that all other women should be, would be, held to.

With a surgeon's hands he stroked the beauty that was her heart, wanting to keep it for himself but knowing that he didn't dare to. He wanted to keep her perfect, which meant that he couldn't allow himself to remove anything from her. Add to her beauty with his stitches, yes, but to remove from her natural perfection he couldn't allow himself to do.

He contented himself with leaving a roadmap on her skin, showing the world the beautiful locations inside her that only he had ever, would ever see. A smirk stretched the stitches on his face, reminding of his own lack of beauty. It reminded him of how much beauty she had. He would perfect it. He had to, because he loved her.

The scalpel flew across her skin, crossing a previous mark on her skin and he smiled at the corners of the stitches. He would turn the intersection into something gorgeous and perfect, something only meant for her. His fingers gently caressed the new incision, a smile on his face as he imagined the possibilities the simple x gave him.

A low moan broke his concentration and even lost in madness he realized that she was coming to. A hypodermic needle slid into her arm at the crook of her elbow and he injected the sedative again. A few shuddering beats of her heart later her breathing evened out and she was unconscious again.

With a look of regret on his face the scientist threaded the needle he reserved solely for her, choosing a suture that he used only for her stitches, and began to sew up the roadmap on her skin. He smiled as he did so, watching each tiny stitch go in; marking the beauty that only he would ever see.

It truly was a shame that no one else would ever have the opportunity to see what the true epitome of beauty was, to know that Charlotte was the only woman in the world that could ever live up to it. But she was his, and he was happy to not have to share her with anyone.


	4. April Fool's

**A/N: This one is from the word "Ketchup" given by Yuu-chan. Featuring Stein, Marie, Spirit and Azusa.**

* * *

He hated ketchup. Both of the women sitting at the table with him knew that, which was why he couldn't understand why they had made meatloaf, a dish that was completely covered with ketchup and had ketchup inside it. They were smiling and chatting while they ate though. Even Spirit was happy with the meal.

Stein played with his food until Marie scolded him for it and he forced himself to take a bite of the dense meatloaf. The overly processed, too sweet taste of ketchup was all he could taste. It didn't even taste like tomatoes to the scientist, but he forced himself to swallow, a fake smile painted on his face.

"Delicious, Marie," he lied. The blonde-haired death scythe just smiled and went back to talking with Azusa.

He almost missed the look that Spirit was giving him as he forced himself to take another bite, chewing it slowly before swallowing. Once Spirit had Stein's attention he jerked his chin to the side and stood, leaving the table.

Stein gratefully took the excuse and stood, leaving the two women chatting.

"Marie really can't cook, can she Stein?" Spirit asked as he leaned against the wall in the sitting room.

"It's the ketchup, it's terrible." Stein explained.

A sly grin tugged at Spirit's lips and Stein cranked the screw in his head. "What are you thinking, Senpai?"

"It's no secret that Azusa still isn't comfortable with the two of us being alone, after all the experiments. She's worried that you'll do something as a 'wedding present'. She and Marie intentionally messed up dinner, you know that right? What did you do recently to upset them?"

"Me? Why is it automatically me?" Stein asked.

"I haven't been around Marie, and I know I haven't upset Azusa." Spirit replied.

Stein was silent for a moment before speaking, "I may have done an experiment. There was no harm in it."

Spirit laughed. "Well, I know that they're trying to punish us both for it, so let's turn the tables on them. It is April Fools after all."

Stein smirked, "And just what do you have in mind, Senpai?"

* * *

"They've been gone a long time, Marie." Azusa mentioned suddenly.

The two women looked over at the barely touched plates and Marie stood, moving out of the dining area and towards the lab. Azusa put their dishes in the sink, leaving the men's behind. She was almost to the door when she heard Marie's scream tear through the air.

She was at her friend's side in a moment; she didn't take in the scene before her for a second as she focused on Marie. Then she looked up at the two men and hit her knees beside the sobbing woman, disbelief painted on her face.

Spirit lay on the coffee table, his head draped over the edge and turned away from them, his shirt off and splatters of red all over him. A scalpel, likewise covered in red, lay on the death scythe's stomach. Red was splattered across Stein's lab coat and the scientist was on his knees beside the death scythe, one arm draped over the man's stomach, his other hand covering his face.

What the women didn't know was that both men were trying desperately to cover up their laughter.

"You bastard!" Azusa's voice suddenly screamed out and Stein's head jerked up as he sensed her wavelength surge. The blast hit him squarely and knocked him back about a foot, but he managed to dissipate most of it. Marie was shocked and could only watch in horror as Azusa lunged over the couch towards Stein.

Spirit sat up quickly, his arms wrapping around Azusa's waist and yanking her out of the air even as he pushed himself backwards so they didn't break Marie and Stein's coffee table.

"Zuzu! Relax!" Spirit almost shouted.

Azusa's shocked face met his as Stein's laughter ripped through the lab.

"Hehehe, it's just ketchup." Stein said, licking a bit of it off his hand.

Suddenly it didn't taste so bad.


	5. Yin and Yang

**A/N: This is a drabble from the word "Equal" given by AU.**

* * *

Something was off, Stein couldn't tell what. Something was missing, but there was something extra, and the more he tried to concentrate on it, the harder it became for him to ascertain what exactly it was he was trying to figure out.

Whatever it was, something was no longer equal in the scientist's mind, the balance of sanity and insanity was off. He still felt like himself, could still feel the tendrils of insanity creeping towards him, but he could also feel something anchoring him to this world.

He didn't know then, but he does now. Charlotte is his equalizer.


	6. Personal Space

**A/N: Prompted Word: Bubble from AU. Featuring Stein, Marie, Rim and Charlotte and their children. Related to the fic I wrote entitled "Heartstrings".  
**

* * *

Laughter floated around the scientist and he just sighed as the children ran in front of him again. It was odd enough to hear his own name being called on occasion, or to hear Spirit's called as the man wasn't present. It was even odder when the black haired boy had told him in no uncertain terms that his name wasn't Franken, and then gave him a new one that Stein just rolled his eyes at.

No one was referring to him as Bubble.

Marie had just laughed about the incident, walking off with Charlotte as Rim stood beside him watching the children play.

"She shouldn't have named him after me. I don't understand why she named your first after Spirit either." Stein complained to Rim.

The death scythe just shrugged. "She wanted to, and you know how stubborn Char can be."

The younger of the two boys came flying from the side and slammed into Rim's legs, his black hair flying behind him as blue eyes filled with tears stared up at his dad. "Franken's being mean! He says that I have to find him and I can't hide!"

Rim knelt, his hand reaching out to ruffle Spirit's hair. "You know that someone has to be the seeker, Spirit. But, if you can find Franken, you get to be a hider next."

A mischievous grin crossed the young boy's face and he glanced at the man standing beside his father. "I found him!" The young boy's hand slapped Stein's leg as he crowed out, "I found a Franken! Now Bubble gets to be the seeker!"

Marie's quiet giggle alerted Stein to her presence a second before she pushed against his back slightly. "Go on _Bubble_. You got caught, now you're a seeker. Isn't that right, Rim?"

The death scythe just grinned and nodded. Stein shook his head, but closed his eyes as instructed and a few moments later opened them, knowing exactly where the boys were but playing along.

The entire time he wondered just how they had managed to get so far inside his personal bubble with Marie and the others before he had even noticed.


	7. To Trust a Madman

**A/N: This is prompted from the word "Bound" from Snow White's Poison Kiss. Rated M for a reason and this chap is that reason.**

* * *

There was a pounding in her head and a strange taste on her tongue. She couldn't see, something was covering her eyes and she couldn't move her arms or legs. She could hear someone moving around her, but she couldn't tell who it was; the only sounds being made were that of shoes on concrete, the occasional rustle of fabric against fabric.

Then there was the squeak of a chair.

She tried to call out to him, knowing who it had to be, but there was a gag in her mouth. She blinked against the blindfold, straining her arms against the bindings that held her to the cold metal surface. His name flew to her lips again, only to be muffled and distorted by whatever it was that was gagging her.

Panic flew through the woman and she struggled, twisting from side to side in an attempt to loosen the restraints. She tried to transform, and found that she couldn't. Memories from the previous night resurfaced and she cursed against the gag.

"_Marie, do you trust me_?" _Stein's voice had asked her curiously._

_She had responded immediately, with no hesitation in her voice. "Of course I do, Franken."_

_A smirk had crossed his face. "I was wondering if you were foolish enough to trust a madman, Marie. It seems that you are."_

_It was only then that she began to feel the effects of whatever he had given her. She should have known that something was up when he cooked for her. He never cooked for himself, why would he cook for the two of them?_

"_Franken?" She asked as she blinked, her vision quickly blurring. The only response to her unasked question was his laughter that was rising in pitch. She rose suddenly to her feet, knocking the chair over behind her in her haste. His manic laughter followed her as she turned to run, her feet feeling as if they were trapped in lead as she tried to. _

_Then everything went black and there was a sensation of falling, but not one of impact._

Marie jerked against the restraints, anger surging through her being.

"_Please…"_ the whispered word made her stop her struggling and she turned her head towards his voice, his name muffled again by the gag.

She felt his hand touch her cheek, just below the blindfold and she shuddered as she felt the other trace a line on her stomach.

"_I want to see your insides. I want to cut you open and take it all out. I want to show you the parts of you the world will never see. But I'm afraid to. I don't want to mar you. I…don't want to hurt you… But I want to see it!" _His voice rose to almost a scream, "_**Help me!**__"_ The hand touching her cheek moved suddenly and she flinched, but it was just removing the gag. A moment later the hand was wrapped around the back of her head and his mouth was on hers.

The taste of cigarette smoke invaded her mouth with his tongue. She couldn't help but gasp at the intrusion, and her back arched without her permission as his hand trailed down her stomach to rub against her sensitivity. She forced herself to relax, to turn her head, to pull away from his wandering hand.

Giggles trailed through the air close to her ear and a second later his tongue snaked out and he was whispering in her ear. _"Did you know that the sensations of pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin? I have always wondered… I can cause pain so spectacularly, but can I do the same with pleasure? It is all a matter of stimulating the proper nerves…"_

His hand ground against her and she couldn't keep herself from bucking up against the palm of his hand as his tongue snaked out and licked the shell of her ear, his breath hot against her chilly skin. She shivered at the difference in temperature.

"Fr-Franken... Get ahold of yourself…" she panted out, trying to move away from him, but she was still tightly bound to the table.

The pressure just increased, his lips moving to suck on the sensitive skin of her throat and she jerked away from him, her body trembling. "Franken, for Death's sake! Get aho-"

His lips crashed down on hers startlingly fast, silencing the death scythe as his hand slipped underneath her skirt and panties. She gasped into the kiss, the taste of cigarette smoke overwhelming her senses almost as much as the sudden cool finger that was pressing firmly against her clit, rubbing small circles.

His hand moved from the back of her head to her shoulder, forcing her completely back against the table as he leaned against her and into the kiss, his tongue slipping out to gently play with hers. She found herself moaning into the kiss and she couldn't stop the near scream that came as his finger slipped almost casually into her.

He broke the kiss and she could hear him panting. She strained against the restraints, trying again to transform only to fail. His hand moved from her shoulder to massage her breast through her shirt and she squirmed.

"Franken, stop…" her voice was ragged as she fought the urge to arch her back.

She felt his breath against her ear a second before she heard his voice, and it sent a shiver through her body.

"_But you really don't want me to, Marie."_

Her eye opened wide behind the blindfold.

He was sane.


	8. Weddings and Inevitabilities

**A/N: This was prompted by the word "Inevitable" by Yuu-chan. Features Current!SteinxPast!Charlotte, CharlottexRim and Future!SteinxMarie**

* * *

He listened to the man speaking with only half an ear. What he was saying didn't matter; no one would really remember the specifics of it in even an hour. They would remember the colors that were thrown across the room, the flowers and the smell of them. They would remember the music, but the words that the pudgy man in the suit was saying? They were insignificant.

It was the pair standing in front of him that everyone would remember. Her dyed black hair done in an eloquent coif, her blue eyes meeting his. There was a smile on both of their faces. He noted briefly that there was a dreamy smile on Marie's face as well.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. He assumed that she would expect him to change that someday. She still hadn't left.

Charlotte had. She was going to say "I do," any moment now and she would leave with Rim. They would leave him here, going to London, where he was to be Europe's Death Scythe. They would kiss.

Kisses that he had selfishly claimed knowing he could never keep them. He crumpled the wedding invitation in his hand, ignoring the fact that Charlotte had obviously made it specifically for him, stitches covered the corners.

"If there are any objections to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace." Stein surged to his feet, striding out of the church to gasps. A long moment passed as the Reverend held his breath. With a smile he motioned to the pianist and as the music began to play he continued, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

Rim smiled as he lifted Charlotte's veil and ignored the tears that were threatening to ruin her carefully applied makeup.

"You may kiss the bride."

He brought his lips against hers gently. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, her tears falling freely, but seemingly normally.

Stein walked down the road, far from the scene now, a cigarette in his mouth and his hand cranking the screw in his head. He knew the inevitability of it all. He had known that she would leave him. He knew that Rim would take her. He knew that they would marry and he wouldn't be able to object.

Just like he knew that Marie would inevitably come to get him. As she always would.


	9. Like Fireflies

**A/N: This was prompted by TheAUWalker, our word today? "Ribbons"**

* * *

He was drowning, even though there was no water around him. He couldn't struggle to the surface; he couldn't fill his lungs with air. That could have something to do with the fact that every time he did manage to get some air in his lungs he found himself giggling inanely.

There were voices around him, and he could hear concern. He however couldn't register it as concern. His vision was gone and his chest was aching, but the laughter that stole his breath and silenced his voice just kept coming. He was shaking, his body unwilling to listen to his commands, his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides.

His mind was torn to shreds. Ribbons of sanity rushed past, flickering through his grasping hands like fireflies from a child's. His laughter just redoubled as he realized that he had no hope of capturing the fleeting threads; that he was nothing more than child exploring something he had been warned against.

His chest was throbbing from the pain, but he could feel something trying to soothe the pain away. He forced eyes open that he hadn't even realized had been clenched shut and he was met with the gaze of an angel. Ribbons of gold were reaching out to him, weaving into the gaps between his fingers so that he could capture his own frayed ribbons.

They interweaved with his, forming a tight weave where there had been a myriad of holes before. He felt something warm filling the reformed shell of his sanity, could focus enough of his attention to feel the hands on his face. Bit by bit he could recall who was in front of him, feel the warmth of her wavelength. He could feel the ribbons that tied him to her.

And her to him. He could see them when he closed his eyes, leaning against her, her name on his lips as it all clicked in place. Her arms gently encircled him and he knew himself once more. Silver and gold threads and ribbons bound the two tightly together. Before his barriers slid back into place he indulged himself.

He decided that he loved ribbons.


	10. Fear and Salvation

**A/N: Today's prompt was from TheAUWalker and was the word: "Corner"**

* * *

"Marie?" Stein's voice called out as he stepped into his research lab. He could feel her wavelength, but he couldn't actually see the woman, and that worried him immensely.

He stepped deeper into the room, listening intently and could barely make out the sobs. Her wavelength was erratic, and he could see the pain etched into it. Long strides carried him further into the room and he flipped on lights as he went, the trail of sobs he was following gradually growing louder.

"Marie?" Stein stopped suddenly. He could smell blood in the air, and he darted forward, his eyes adjusting to the dark in less time than it would take to find the lights for this section of the lab.

He found her huddled against the wall, her face in the corner as she sobbed. She was clutching her arm to her side, and he could clearly see the wound that wrapped around it even in the dim light.

"Marie?" His hands reached out and touched her shoulder gently, a surgeon's touch. She jerked away from him, her wavelength spiking in fear, and Stein froze for a long moment as she burst into a renewed bout of tears, sobbing shaking her body as she huddled into the corner.

He snapped out of it and reached back out, his touch no longer hesitant. She flinched, pulling away, but he forced her to straighten her arm out and he stared at the long incision in it. The wound had been half stitched closed, but it needed finished. Blood was still trickling from it and she was hiccupping in obvious pain and fear.

She was in his arms a second later, her entire body trembling. He didn't expect for her to struggle against him, but she did, twisting away from him. Her wavelength surged and he felt the calming effects of it as he stood up with her.

"Marie, stop. I have to stitch the wound on your arm closed or you risk infection." Her blood was smearing on his lab coat, mixing with older blood that he didn't remember getting on it. She just struggled, pushing against his chest and he finally let her down.

She stood unsteadily in front of him, her uninjured arm reaching to the wall to steady herself. She cradled her other arm against her body and shied away from him, her eyes on him as she moved around him before darting out of the lab.

Stein stood watching her retreat for a long time. He looked at the blood on his hands and his lab coat, the pieces slowly clicking together. Marie had been hiding from him. She was afraid of him. He had hurt her, and couldn't even remember doing it.

She had been in the corner, clutching a half-stitched wound because of him. Long strides followed her then, the scientist moving quickly through the dark lab. He came around a corner and found a locked door between him and her.

"Marie… let me in. You're injured… at least let me take care of it. Marie, please." Strangled sobs came from behind the door. "I… I'm sorry. I know something happened, even if I can't remember any of it."

Stein waited with baited breath as he heard a rattling sound and the door knob twisted. Marie opened the door and stood unsteadily in the doorway, swaying. There were tears in her eye and she opened her mouth as if to say something when she pitched forward and into his arms.

Stein barely caught her, and her weight sent them both to the floor. He glanced down at her arm to find that she had removed the few stitches that had been in it and he shook his head, gathering her in his arms as he stood. A short time later they were in the lab and he was stitching the wound closed.

Once it was done he sat in his chair and twisted the screw in his head, wondering what he had done that would have caused such pain and fear in Marie of all people, and why a corner had been where she chose to hide instead of leaving him and the lab all together.

Perhaps she thought she could still save him if she stayed?


	11. Trust

**A/N: Today's prompt word? "Dilemma" from Yuu-chan. Features Stein.**

* * *

He knew the truth behind it all. He was destined to ruin everything he touched. He would tear apart, gouge out, or rip everything he came in contact. Frozen and incinerated corpses were the truth to that. What he didn't understand was why she didn't leave him; by her own admission, why she never would.

True to her word, she slept in her room just a few doors away from his research lab; the door unlocked. She had to take a sleeping pill each night to get any sleep, and she did it without fear. She truly believed that she would wake up each morning with all of her organs and what-not intact. So far, she had. She trusted him to not take advantage of her trust. So far, he hadn't.

But tonight he was sitting in his research lab, her brightly glowing soul seeming to beckon to him. His hands trembled as he fought to keep from picking up a scalpel. His legs shuddered from the force he was using to keep himself from walking down the hall and to her room. His entire body shook as he fought the urge to push the boundaries of her trust in him, as he fought the _need_ to dissect her just to see how far that trust could go.

He knew he would lose it if he did. What the proverbial 'it' was, he wasn't sure. He knew it included her trust… but it included so much more. He didn't want to lose it, but he wanted to know. He needed to know. The siren song of her soul's wavelength was drawing him inexplicably deeper into madness, and he knew that soon he wouldn't be able to resist anymore.

When he couldn't, what would he do? He knew if he let it get that far Marie may die. He needed to distract himself from her. He had to distance himself. But if he stood up now he knew that the only way he would walk would be to her room, a scalpel in hand. He forced his shuddering body to remain in place, the madness welling up minute by minute in his mind.

With a hoarse utterance, something not quite a word, he grabbed a scalpel from where it sat with the others and stabbed it deeply into his own leg. Pain coursed through him, and it helped shake off the insanity that was slowly growing around him. His hands were shaking as he forced himself to his feet. His legs trembled as waves of pain shot through the injured leg, but it was nothing that he couldn't handle. Careful strides carried him to where his surgical supplies were, and he finally removed the scalpel from his upper leg.

Blood poured freely from the wound and Stein shuddered as he placed the scalpel on the edge of it, and pushed down, changing the wound from a puncture wound to a gash in a swipe. He gritted his teeth and repeated it on the other side, leaving an incision nearly 6 inches long that was beginning to encircle his leg. Looking at it he released his hold on sanity, knowing that the seeds had been planted enough that he didn't have to worry about what would happen unless Marie were to stumble in on him.

And she was asleep in her unlocked room, sleeping aids prescribed by him running through her, just three doors down from his now locked lab. The giggles began quietly but soon rose in intensity as he extended the cut around his leg, immune now to the pain; his sane mind gave one sigh of relief before releasing its hold completely, at peace now that the dilemma had passed for the moment.


	12. Distraction

**A/N: Today's prompt was the word "Trace" from TheAUWalker. Rated M. This features Stein and a woman. Whether she is Marie or Charlotte is open to interpretation. Apparently I am in a smut mood now-a-days.**

* * *

He let his hands roam, drawing unseen circles on her stomach and hips, his fingers massaging gently as he leaned his head in to kiss her. She gasped slightly into it as his hand slipped down to her inner thigh, just barely touching it before massaging it just as gently as he had been rubbing her hips. She parted her lips to give him what he wanted, and let his tongue slide into her mouth. The taste of cigarette smoke overpowered her senses briefly, and drowned out the smell of the antiseptic in the room.

Antiseptic.

The wound on her side suddenly stung and he let his hand slip, distracting her when he heard her sudden hiss of pain. His lips found hers again, having never really left, and she found herself lying completely flat against his bed; her breath coming in short gasps.

He broke the kiss reluctantly, nuzzling his head against her neck; the cool metal of his screw just barely grazed her cheek and she sheepishly turned her head to kiss it lightly. His hand cupped her cheek then and pushed her head to the side for better access to her neck, and she couldn't help but moan. A low chuckle sent shivers down her spine as she felt him suck on the side of her neck.

A thrill went through her as she realized that he was marking her. Claiming her for the entire world to see, if her hair didn't hid the growing hicky. Another moan escaped her as she realized that she didn't really want it to.

His fingers traced words against her abdomen and breasts once he was satisfied with the hicky he had left on her, his voice sending shivers through her spine as he said each word. They were all in a language that she didn't know, couldn't speak or understand. She knew what they meant. It was his way of telling her how beautiful she was to his eyes; how much he loved her. What he couldn't voice out loud, what he couldn't tell her in a way that she would understand completely. It wasn't his way.

And it turned her on to no end, and he knew that. She forced herself to fight the growing need he was invoking in her, and found herself on the losing end. Her hands reached up to tangle in his hair as he murmured against her neck, his lips just barely brushing the sensitive skin and sending waves of fiery lust through her.

Finally it was too much and her desperate voice cried out, "Please!"

With a smirk that she couldn't see he obliged her. There was no hesitation, no more teasing. He slid into her with practiced ease and she sighed. The sigh turned to a moan a breath later as he began to move in and out of her, his body angling to cause her the most pleasure. She fought the desire to arch her hips, knowing that it wouldn't do her any good.

He was in control, and she didn't want it any other way.

He pulled away from her slightly and she gasped at the sudden loss of nearness even as his hands adjusted themselves on her hips and tugged her up slightly, leaning against her and sliding into her. He pushed all the way in and she moaned, finally allowing her back to arch. She heard his chuckle an instant before she felt his fingers find her clit.

He thrusted then, and at the same time rubbed his fingers against her. She cried out, arching her back as his fingers traced delicate hearts against her while he claimed her. She didn't last long, but he was beginning to pant when she shuddered and cried out, every muscle in her body clenching. He kept his pace up through her orgasm and she shook as she forced herself into a sitting position and kissed him.

He was still buried inside him when she twisted the screw and caught him off guard. A moment later she had the surprised meister on his back and was bouncing up and down on him. His hands shot up to catch her hips, and she could see the determination in his eyes even in the dim light. She placed her own hands on his chest, letting her feet stabilize herself.

His resolve wore off quickly as she rode him, the man making small grunts deep in his throat. She stopped movement slowly and then purposefully ground against him. His eyes widened and she saw his breath hitch. It was all she needed and she continued the movement.

Her own eyes widened when his hand found her waist again and with a quick movement he was back on top. There was no gentleness to the movements this time and she cried out as he slammed into her, her back arching as she felt the familiar warmth coiling. He exploded buried deep inside her and she cried out again, trembling and abused muscles clenching suddenly as her body shook.

His arms were shaking as he held himself up over her, small beads of sweat on his face. She leaned up and kissed him before he could roll off of her, one arm snaking around his neck. He returned the kiss and collapsed onto the bed beside her, his breathing quickly returning to normal. She snuggled against the man, the pain in her side forgotten and traced a heart over his with her finger.


	13. An Unexpected Sound

**A/N: The word of the day is "Lyric" given by TheAUWalker. Note, that's not "lyrics" it's "lyric". Features Stein and Marie.**

* * *

She had never heard him sing before. His clear tenor carried through the lab and woke her from her sleep, the words in a language that she had never heard before. Marie blinked the sleep from her eyes, convinced that she was still dreaming; there was no way that the lyric tenor that she was listening to was Dr. Franken Stein.

She would have more luck getting him to ride a roller coaster with a magnet attached to his screw than she would have getting him to sing. He had told her specifically that if not for the fact that he had to dance at social settings he would do neither of the two activities; that they were a waste of time.

Yet, she could hear him singing. The melody was poignant, and made her want to cry. A host of emotions were held in his voice and she wondered what the actual song was. It brought tears to her eyes as she listened, and she could hear the pain in his voice as he crescendoed into a hauntingly high note.

'_Why would he hide something like this? Why would Franken refuse to let anyone know that he can do this?' _Marie wondered as his voice fell back to its normal range. Resolved she stood to her feet and walked towards the research lab. She glanced out the window as she did and noted that it was dark out. She wondered at what time it was before she pushed the door open.

Stein stood with his back to her, but as the door opened his voice cut off suddenly. A second later he turned to face her and she stared at the device around his neck.

"Did you need something, Marie?" Stein asked with a bit of a smirk.

"I was just listening." Marie blushed as the words left her mouth before she could think of them.

"Ah, I'm sorry I woke you then. I'll make sure to conduct any further experiments with more control." To the scientist's credit, he kept himself from smirking as she looked at him with open curiosity. "Don't worry, it won't require cutting into myself or you," his control slipped a bit with that statement and he felt the smirk slip across his face.

She swallowed and just nodded. "I'm… going to bed, Franken."

"Goodnight, Marie." Stein just nodded.

After she was gone he slipped the useless device off of his neck and started to write notes about Marie's embarrassed reaction to his singing. With a smirk he made one last entry before heading to bed.

_Must repeat experiment with the door to the lab open. Would be interesting to note the amount of time she is willing to spend standing at the crack to avoid disturbing me and causing me to stop singing. Perhaps with time I will understand her fascination with the phenomenon._


	14. Asking Permission

**A/N: Today's word is "shame" from TheAUWalker. Features Stein and Marie.**

* * *

She stood behind him, her hand on his shoulder as she all but shouted into his ear. He ignored the interruption, his eyes scanning lines of data as he continued to work.

"Franken Stein, have you no shame at all?"

He finally turned to face her, his expression neutral. "I just fail to see what the problem is, Marie."

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed; this caused a smirk to pull at Stein's lips and she responded violently. His head snapped to the side as her hand collided with his cheek, her fingertips just narrowly missing the screw that was protruding from the side of his skull.

"The problem is that we haven't been on a mission in three months and I have a brand new scar!"

"I assure you that I-"

Her hand collided with his face again, effectively silencing the scientist. "Don't give me that crap. I know what you did to Spirit while he was living here. Why can't you just admit what you've done?"

His greens eyes met her singular gold one as he brought his head back to face her. "Would that honestly make matters better, if you knew without a doubt that you couldn't trust me?"

He watched as some of the anger slipped out of her features and she took a step back. He decided to push the initiative. "You want to hear that I cut you open, don't you? You want it to come from my own mouth that I cut you open, and that I was aware of my actions. You want to believe that it wasn't me slipping into madness so strongly that even the presence of your wavelength wasn't enough to keep you safe. You want to maintain the illusion that you're safe here." Stein rose from his chair in a smooth action, stepping close to the shocked woman. "And what if it wasn't? Would you be as happy to hear that?"

His face loomed close to hers, his hand catching her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "You're right, Marie. I have no shame. I did cut into you, but it wasn't because I fell into madness like you were hoping. It was because I wanted to, just like with Spirit. It'll happen again if you insist on staying here. You're such an interesting specimen."

His body was flush with hers before she realized it, and she flinched a bit as she felt something cold and hard press against the exposed skin of her arm.

"Well, Marie?"

She met his gaze boldly. "You don't understand, Franken. I'm not mad that you experimented on me. I'm mad that you _didn't ask permission."_

A sadistic grin crossed his face for a moment. "And if I were to ask?"

"You never know what the answer might be."

Stein just chuckled as he stepped away from her, his hand reaching up to twist the screw even as he puzzled over the experiments he had always wanted to perform on Marie Mjolnir.


	15. Forgiveness

**A/N: Today's (or rather, yesterday's word) is Condescending from TheAUWalker.**

* * *

"You think I'm stupid!" Charlotte screamed at the top of her lungs, a beaker flying towards the silver-haired man that just ducked out of the way as it slammed against the wall and shattered. "You think I'm useless and that's why you keep making me come here to study! You think I can't be trusted on my own to do it because I'm too stupid to know how to read a damn book!"

Stein flinched as she flung a scalpel in his direction, the blade impaling the wall near his head as he barely ducked out of the way.

"Charlotte, you know that's not the truth; you're a smart, bright, intelligent young woman." Stein's tone was gentle, but to Charlotte it sounded nothing but fake and snide.

"Don't use that fucking condescending tone of me!" She screamed as she flung a clipboard at him.

It caught the side of his screw, clipping it and forcing Stein's head to snap to the side. When he turned to face her he just caught a glimpse of her arm as she sprinted around the corner of the room. He burst into movement and arrived just in time to see her dash out of the lab.

"Charlotte!" Stein shouted, pushing his speed, knowing that she shouldn't be leaving the lab right now.

He was faster than her, and it only took a short time to reach the young woman, his fingers wrapping tightly around her wrist as he jerked back on her arm. She screamed, her hand shining with her wavelength as she slammed it into his stomach.

He didn't bother dissipating the attack, hoping that the shock of actually hurting him would jolt her back to consciousness. Back to herself.

Blood flew from his lips, some of it landing on the woman's cheek. Another punch to his stomach took him to his knees, his blood landing on the green grass, almost invisible in the dark night. He looked up as she laughed, her hand wrapping around the screw in his head.

"Not so stupid am I now?"

His world went black.

* * *

Stein opened his eyes slowly, every fiber of his being aching. He was lying on something soft and there was a weight beside him. It took a long second for his eyes to focus enough to see that it was Charlotte; the woman was asleep on his arm, and tears stained her cheeks, his shirt sleeve, and the bed they were laying on.

'_Bed?'_ Stein reached up to twist the screw in his head, and sighed in relief when there was no residual pain, the memories flooding back.

'_She must have carried me…'_ Stein glanced at the slip of a woman beside him and just shook his head.

She stirred in her slumber, her eyes opening to look at him. As he met her gaze she burst into tears, burying her head against his chest.

"_I'm so sorry… so sorry…"_ she whispered brokenly.

He just tightened his arm around her, gently explaining that there was nothing to be sorry for. That he would always forgive her. That he loved her.


	16. You Think You Know Me

**A/N: This is based on the word "Demeanor" given by Yuu-chan; I tried to deviate from my normal writing style a bit. I hope that you enjoyed.**

* * *

You believe that you know me, yes. You believe that you can look at me and tell me who I am. You are idiots. You see only what I want you to see. You do not see anything other than the outward face that I show to the world at large, to keep the moronic masses at bay and allow me to continue my experiments in relative peace.

There are always interruptions, Marie for example. She made it almost unbearable for the first few months she lived in the lab with me; the mask I wore could never slip. If she were to catch me experimenting on or dissecting anyone things would have been quite awkward between us. So I refrained. It was enough to drive me insane.

Bad pun, yes. Most would fear that I had lost it, Marie though… it was almost like she couldn't see past my false demeanor and painted on smile. She managed to keep my mind off the constant need for quite a while.

What?

Oh, yes. She is the one on the first table. I'll make sure to put her back together before the sunrise. Rest assured that all her pieces are accounted for. The man two tables down I can't vouch as much for. I seem to have misplaced his spleen. Ah, it is really not that important- he can live without the organ.

You wonder why you are here? This is an interview, yes? You wanted to ask me about my past, about what happened between your father and I. It's simple. He lived here, I experimented on him. He has all his parts accounted for as well- I take care of my favorites.

I believe that you could be one of my favorites as well. Shall we see?


	17. Unrequited

**A/N: This one is written from the word "Pale" from AU. Features Current!SteinxPast!Charlotte.**

* * *

Her pale skin had never been more beautiful. He had never wanted her more. It had never been so hard to let her go.

She stood beside Rim, smiles on both their faces. Her gown was white.

_He knew she shouldn't be wearing white._

Rim stood in a black tux, their closest friends standing as groomsmen and bridesmaids.

_He should have been the one to give her away._

The wedding colors were green and silver. Her favorite colors beyond purple.

_They were the color of his hair and eyes, and he knew that._

The ceremony was beautiful and short.

_Almost like he hoped their marriage would be so he could have her._

Marie sat beside him, tears in her eye threatening to ruin the makeup she was wearing; makeup that was done so as not to show. Unlike Charlotte's, which made her radiant and gorgeous.

_She had offered once to wear it for him, he had refused and he regretted that now._

Charlotte and Rim walked down the aisle, past the rows of people wishing them a long and happy marriage. Her eyes met him and he smiled sadly.

_They both knew it was a lie._

The sun reflected off the back of the car as the newlyweds drove away, and Stein glanced down at Marie's hand now entwined in his pale one, and then looked at her happy smile.

_He knew she loved him._

But he loved Charlotte.


	18. Protecting Her

**A/N: This was prompted by the word "grate" from TheAUWalker. Features Stein and Marie.**

* * *

It was as natural as breathing to him. He would extend his soul and capture his partner's soul in his, weaving the resonance around and through them both. They would feed each other, and the power would grow. He had never felt soul rejection; he had never been unable to resonate with a soul. There had been plenty that he hadn't wanted to resonate with, but never one that he hadn't been able to.

That was why the sheer force of the agony sent him to his knees; Marie skidding from his suddenly limp grasp. She hit her human form almost immediately and he could still see wisps of smoke curling from the nearly unconscious woman's body as she stopped a dozen feet from him, curled in on herself. He rose unsteadily to his feet, nearly stumbling as he moved over to her.

She was already muttering apologies as his hands slid underneath her arms, lifting her to her feet. She stumbled and his hand rested on her shoulder, steadying her; his eyes never stopped watching for the witch that was near, that he knew now they had no chance of surviving an encounter with, given that she had disrupted his ability to resonate with Marie.

His gaze was caught by a grated sewer entrance and he pulled Marie's arm over his shoulder, tugging the still dazed death scythe after him. He still couldn't sense the witch, and he spent a moment in the futile hope that she had gone, fleeing from Marie and himself.

He knew she hadn't, he just had to move quickly to stay one step ahead of her.

A sudden force crashed against his back as they drew near the entrance, slamming both him and Marie into the sewer grate. Marie hit hard, and her tenuous grasp on consciousness slipped, the woman crumpling beside him. Stein stood protectively over her body, safety just a few inches behind them as he turned to face the witch that was menacing them.

She grinned, a wide grin full of sharp and feral teeth, before darting her hand out. Stein took the blunt of the barrage, blood erupting from a dozen places on his body as the razor sharp spikes drove deep into his body. His hands were behind him though; he was fumbling with the lock on the grate.

With a click it opened and with a heavy sigh he nudged Marie's body through the gap, pulling it closed behind her as she dropped into what he hoped was a gentle landing. Another wave of spikes drove into his body, forcing him to his knees, but not before his _Soul Menace _destroyed the locking mechanism on the grate- the entrance too small for the witch to enter in her current form anyway.

Blood pooled around him as she stood over him, cursing him in a language that even he didn't understand. He just smirked.

"You failed. You may take my life, but Shinigami-sama's death scythe is safe from you. That was your goal, and you failed."

The next round of spikes hit his face, burying deeply in his cranium; the scientist crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood around him. Marie stirred slightly where she lay 15 feet below the road behind a locked grate. The witch screamed in frustration, her target gone, and left the man lying there.

A few moments later a blue soul hovered in the air above a broken, shattered body, and the woman below him sobbed even in her unconscious state.


	19. Naivity

**A/N: This was prompted from the world "Icon" from Yuu-chan, and is a drabble. Another SteinxMarie.**

* * *

"What's that one do?" Marie asked naively, staring over Stein's shoulder and pointing at one of the icons on his computer screen.

The scientist just pinched the bridge of his nose. "That, Marie, is the recycle bin. It's where deleted files go."

"Does it turn them into new files for you?"

Stein couldn't stop the smirk, how did the woman know nothing of computers?

"Yes, Marie. It'll turn them into brand new files after week. Think of it like composting or actually recycling."

She laughed. "Compost, on a computer? They even sound alike."

Stein just smirked and continued her lesson.


	20. Stupidity

**A/N: This is based on the OWP "Nails" by TheAUWalker. It's short, but I imagine that drunk/hung over Stein isn't the genius that he normally is. Enjoy.**

* * *

Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. He cranked the screw in his head as Marie blabbered on about how what he and Spirit had done was irresponsible; about how he should have thought about the consequences. He only half listened as she scolded him for leaving the lab in the middle of the night without telling her.

"I was with Spirit, for Death's sake, Marie. I'm not a child. If I choose to leave, I'm more than capable of doing so." Stein finally interrupted, and almost regretted it. His own voice was like driving those same nails directly into his brain, his headache only intensifying and he winced.

"You're hung over, and it serves you right!" she all but shrieked at him.

"I don't see what it so wrong with going to Chupa Cabra's with Senpai!" his voice cracked slightly as pain laced through his head and a trembling hand cranked the screw in his head.

"Since when do you even drink, Franken? Doesn't it dull your scientific capabilities or something? You've refused to go for drinks with me I don't know how many times!" Stein could hear the hurt in her voice now, and it suddenly clicked that she wasn't mad at him for going, but that she was mad at him for going without him.

He chuckled and she looked at him oddly. "Don't worry; I'm not fucking Spirit behind your back."

Marie's face contorted in rage and her hand drew back to slap him as hard as she could. His head flew to the side and when he looked up it was only to see her stomping out of the room.

Her voice floated over her shoulder to him, full of anger and pain. "Well you may want to start."


	21. Electricity, Blood, and Water

**A/N: This was prompted by the word "Dilute" from Yuu-chan. Features Stein and Marie.**

* * *

"Franken, now!" Marie's voice screamed out of her weapon form and Stein nodded, darting forward, the water falling down around him as black tendrils wrapped around his wrist and a familiar jolt of electricity coursed through his system. In front of them stood a witch, manic laughter escaping not from her, but from the hat on top of her head.

He swung Marie with all of his might, colliding with the witch and knocking her backwards a few feet. The hat just continued to laugh as the witch looked at them with a blank expression, her lips creeping back in a feral snarl to reveal sharp teeth. She lunged forward almost immediately, the laughter from the hat beginning to grate on Stein's nerves.

He sidestepped her easily, _Izuna_ singing through his body. _"Franken, be careful."_ Marie's voice warned him and he didn't bother acknowledging. They both knew that he would do whatever it took to stop the witch in front of them, even if that meant sacrificing his own body.

It wouldn't be the first time he'd been forced to take a leave of absence after utilizing _Izuna_.

Marie smashed into the witch's side and he took a step, swinging again. He didn't see the blade until it was too late- he swung Marie against it and watched as a thin line appeared on the hammer.

He didn't register the scream that erupted from the weapon as Marie's voice. He simply couldn't believe that such a ragged, pained sound came from her. That he had allowed her to be injured.

The resonance between them shattered. The weapon flew from his grasp as they were blown apart, and Marie landed between him and the witch, her body streaming blood into the water where it was slowly diluted. Stein darted towards her, watching in horror as the witch just grinned while her hat cackled.

With a deliberate motion the witch cast a spell, and Stein hit his knees, a scream ripping from his throat as Marie's unconscious body was torn to shreds.

Arms wrapped around him, and a familiar voice was murmuring in his ear. It took him a moment to realize that somewhere along the line he had clenched his eyes shut to avoid the image of Marie's body ripping to pieces.

And then he realized that it was Marie's voice. It was her wavelength in front of him, her arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. His body was covered in sweat and shaking uncontrollably.

He was in the lab, in the room they shared, in bed beside her. She was live and whole, completely uninjured beside him.

"Franken, are you alright? You were screaming…" Marie's voice was concerned even though it was thick with sleep.

He just wrapped his trembling arms around her and held her close to him. She could feel his heart thudding against his chest, and she just gently smoothed his hair, letting him cling to her.


	22. Tryst

**A/N: This was prompted by the word "Vintage" from TheAUWalker. Features SteinxCharlotte; has Stein, Rim, Spirit, Marie, and Charlotte. Rated M.  
**

* * *

"Just try it; I'm sure that you'll like it." Spirit held the bottle against Charlotte's glass, the deep maroon liquid tumbling out of it. He handed the bottle over to Stein, who poured himself and Marie a glass. Marie took a sip of it and sighed.

"You got a great vintage, Spirit."

"Had to, didn't I?" Spirit asked, winking at Charlotte. "It's not every day I'm asked to provide refreshments for a wedding."

Stein's hand tightened slightly on his glass and he took a drink. Neither weapon could see the resentment in his soul, but Charlotte could and she just looked down into the cup. Rim was oblivious as well, sitting beside her with his arm around her, his glass already half empty.

They sat in a circle, Spirit, Rim and Marie making enough conversation for all of them as they laughed and joked. Stein slipped out after a few glasses, and when Charlotte was certain that Rim was distracted by the jokes that Spirit was telling, she slipped out after him.

"Professor?" she called as she came around the corner, following the trail of cigarette smoke out of the lab. She found him standing against the outside of the Lab, his head tilted up as he released a gout of smoke into the air. "Professor?"

"Just go back inside, Charlotte. Don't tempt me."

Her hand reached out tentatively to touch his arm. "I'm sorry this is upsetting you… but… we both agreed."

"_I know just what the hell we agreed on, Charlotte. That doesn't mean that I have to enjoy it!" _he growled out, jerking his arm from her hand before visibly calming himself. "Just go inside. Now."

"Professor… Stein… please…" her speech was broken, and she couldn't get her thoughts into the right order to voice.

He had her against the wall a second later, his lips hungry and on hers as he pressed against her. The taste of cigarette smoke invaded her mouth and she took comfort in the familiarity. Rim didn't smoke; this was something that she would never taste again, and she found herself realizing just how much she would miss it.

His hands moved to her hips and he leaned into the kiss. She could feel him pressing against him, straining against his pants as he broke away from her, panting.

There was disgust on his face.

"Charlotte, get away from me. You have to. Go inside." His words were hollow and weak and she could see how much he was having to restrain himself.

She gave a small smile. "I'm not married yet."

It was as if she had given him permission, and she was suddenly glad that she was wearing a dress for the occasion. He was on her again a second later, and she could feel their shared grasp on sanity weakening the longer they remained together.

But she didn't care. His hands roamed up and under her skirt, slipping across her thighs to tease as he kissed her. With one swift movement he had her panties down and at her ankles. She stepped out of them, her hand unzipping his pants and reaching in to remove his erection from his boxers. He had her pinned to the wall and bouncing on him a moment later.

It didn't take long before they were both panting, Stein's legs trembling from bouncing her on himself. Her hands clawed into his back as he kissed her neck, changing his strategy from fast to hard and deep. She cried out, muffling it against his shoulder as he thrust into her, her hands tangling in his hair.

Their breath mingled in the cool air, the stars shining down on them while the others drank wine and talked inside the Lab. Charlotte shivered and shuddered as he pressed her back against the wall, forcing himself into her as far as he could go. He pulled out, his hands on her ass to keep her in place before slamming back into her.

It was too much for the woman and she almost screamed, Stein's mouth landing on hers as her muscles clenched around the length buried in her, muffling the sound. He continued to thrust for a moment before suddenly pulling from her, his release spent into the air to land on the grass at their feet. Both were panting, and Charlotte gave him a light kiss.

"_I'll never forget or change how much I love you, I promise." _Charlotte whispered, adjusting her clothing and slipping her panties back on.

Stein just nodded as she did, zipping his pants. "I know, Charlotte. And you know the same. I'm here if you ever need anything."

She gave him a small smile and walked back into the lab and to the man that she would be wedding in the morning. He just leaned against the wall and lit a new cigarette, the night wind cooling the sweat on his face as he finally allowed himself to accept that she was no longer his.


	23. A Special Ingredient

**A/N: This was written from the word "Exit" given by TheAUWalker. Features Stein, Marie and Charlotte.**

* * *

She had finally found it, and she held it in her hand. No one was around to stop her; nothing was going to change her mind. She had her exit from this world and her torments, from the madness. She would release them both.

Charlotte spent the entire day smiling, and Stein was comforted by it. She asked him and, to his surprise, Marie, if it would be alright if she came over and made dinner for them that night. Marie had readily agreed, happy that it seemed like Charlotte was doing better.

Stein suddenly had his doubts, but he hid them and smiled politely. Her soul, always like an open book to him before, was suddenly murky and unreadable. He didn't know what was going to happen at dinner, but he had a suspicion that it wasn't going to be something that he and Marie would be willing to let happen.

She went home with them that night, smiling and laughing and talking with Marie. He walked a few feet behind the two women, and realized that he hadn't seen either of them anywhere near as happy in the last few weeks. Certainly not since before Charlotte's last incident where she had nearly killed Marie.

Marie's capacity to forgive still astonished the scientist.

They parted ways once they entered the lab and he went to his research lab while they went to the kitchen. In less than an hour the smell of food was causing his stomach to grumble and he went into the living room only to find the two of them sitting together on the couch.

"It's almost done, Franken," Marie said with a smile.

He sat down on the couch in between them as it was the only spot left and he furrowed his forehead when he felt Charlotte's head lean against his shoulder. There was a small smile on her face and he could feel the peace radiating through her soul.

Marie stood a few moments later and went into the kitchen, her voice echoing out of it a second later. "It's done! Let's eat while it's hot."

She came out of the kitchen, oven mitts on both hands, carrying a pot of chili. Stein moved to take it from her and she laughed as he jerked his hands back.

"I'm wearing mitts for a reason, it's hot!" Even Charlotte laughed.

Marie spooned the chili out into bowls that were already sitting on the table and they all began eating.

"Isn't it great, Franken?" Marie asked as she took another bite. Franken just nodded, trying to place the slightly odd flavor to the food.

His mind noted that Charlotte was eating more than he had seen her eat in weeks at any one time. He almost noted that she didn't say a word the entire time, just smiled politely.

"…and Charlotte added a special spice that she wouldn't even tell me what the name was." Marie's voice interrupted his train of thought.

Stein's head jerked up and he stared at the woman sitting across from him. Charlotte's face stretched into a smirk even as Marie suddenly jerked back in her chair. Stein could feel the compound raging in his system as well.

With foam leaking from her mouth Charlotte finally spoke. "I'm sorry to Marie, but I finally found our exit, Professor."

The world went black, and a moment later his other senses followed.


	24. A Trusty Steed

**A/N: This was prompted by the word "Noble" from AU and I decided to write it out as a drabble. Features MariexStein.**

* * *

She was waiting for her knight in shining armor, a noble from a bygone time come to rescue her from her false life. He would proclaim his undying love for her and sweet her away to his castle atop his trusty steed.

Little did she know that shining armor meant a dull grey screw, castle meant a patched up lab, and his trusty steed was a likewise patched green and white rolly chair. But as she looked at the man that had saved her life, she found that she didn't care.

She had her love, and she wouldn't let go.


	25. Honeymoon Games

**A/N: This was written from the word "Number" also prompted by TheAUWalker. Features Stein and Marie.**

* * *

"_Marie, I want you to count,"_ his tongue slid against the shell of her ear as he whispered into it. _"Just count. You'll know what. Don't move, don't do anything except count."_

She just swallowed, giving him a slight nod that he felt rustle his hair. With a smirk that she couldn't see he dipped his head to her neck and his tongue flicked out, drawing a wet line before he blew on it, causing the woman to shiver. His right hand rested on her side as he kissed her neck gently and then repeated the process.

"_Two," _Marie murmured and he smirked. He kissed his way down her body, and she did as he asked, remaining still as she counted. He could feel her trembling as his lips touched her inner thigh, and he smirked up at the woman.

His fingers slipped into her and she gave a strangled cry, but tried her best not to move. He kissed her clit, and didn't hear a number. He crooked his fingers and kissed again. She screamed out the number and he couldn't help but chuckle.

She wasn't able to remain still for long under his ministrations, but towards the end, he didn't care. He was too busy taking care of his own need to worry about the fact that she was writhing below him- in fact, he enjoyed the fact.

After they had calmed and stilled once more he pulled her against him.

"What was the last number?" he asked with a smirk on his face and in his voice.

She just blushed. "I… don't remember."

Stein chuckled. "We'll just have to try again then, won't we?"

She smiled back at him. "That sounds like a plan, Franken. We have our lives to try again and again." She kissed him, and he suddenly felt like then was the best time to try his experiment again.


	26. A Little Prank

**A/N: This was prompted from the word 'Glue' by TheAUWalker. Features Young!Stein and Young!Spirit.**

* * *

"What have you done?!" Stein's normally calm voice shrieked out over his weapon's braying laughter. The teen flung the book to the bed, and Spirit couldn't stop shaking with laughter as it thunked down, the pages never moving.

Stein's fist sobered him up quick enough. He had never seen his meister's face so contorted in rage, and for a moment Spirit was certain that Stein was going to kill him.

Fortunately it seemed like Stein wasn't thinking cohesive thoughts at that moment, because the other teen just punched him again. Spirit brought his arms up to block the third punch, Stein's hand tangled in his shirt as he tried to pull back.

"Hey, calm down! It's just a damn book!" Spirit shouted.

Stein's fist swung again, and Spirit dodged, causing the meister to overstep. A smooth move brought Spirit behind Stein, and the older man twisted Stein's arms around behind him.

"My thesis is due tomorrow, you idiot! Tomorrow! You've glued my book shut! All of my books! I'll cut you into pieces you damn moron!" Stein screamed as he struggled in Spirit's arms and flung his head backwards, nearly breaking the weapon's nose.

"You need to relax, damnit! Your thesis has been done for over a week! You've been running yourself into the ground!" Spirit shouted right in the meister's ear.

They remained locked together like that for almost an hour, struggling and wrestling with each other before Stein collapsed. He was worn out from cramming for the finals, getting his thesis done, and the double missions they had had in the last couple weeks.

Spirit just sighed as he looked at the unconscious meister and then at his own hand, which was firmly stuck to the meister's shirt.

"Damn glue… Stein won't notice a few more stitches I hope," Spirit muttered out as he carefully pulled off the other boy's shirt before depositing him, finally, in bed for a good night's sleep.


	27. Exchange

**A/N: This was prompted from the word "Article" by TheAUWalker.**

* * *

She couldn't stop staring. The stitching on his shirt was perfectly aligned with the stitches on his back, just barely visible on his shoulder. He obviously hadn't noticed that the shirt he was wearing had slipped a bit to one side. She had though, just as quickly as she had realized that for the first time in a long time he wasn't wearing a turtleneck of some sort.

She knew that he knew that she was there. He had told her once that he never blocked out his _Soul Perception-_ the risk of an attack when he lived so far on the outskirts was too high for him to blind himself. Though, she did realize that there was a possibility that he was so absorbed in the article that he was reading that he was tuning her wavelength out, treating it as a distraction.

Whatever the case, she was happy to sit there and watch the line on his shoulder move as he did, always moving to be aligned with the stitching on his shirt. She lost herself imagining it trailing down his body, and found herself wondering where exactly the stitches ended.

That led to her wondering about just how much of his body was stitched up. She remained seated on the couch though, watching him type as she ignored the magazine that was in her hands. Her coffee grew cold in its beaker as her eye focused on the stitched portion of his shoulder, which led directly to the stitching on his shirt.

She realized belatedly that he wasn't wearing his lab coat and that as he stretched to take a drink of his cold coffee that she could see the stitches that encircled his arm. Her fingers itched to know what they felt like. She couldn't stop herself from snorting quietly before opening her magazine and trying to distract herself.

As if he would allow that.

It was less than a minute before she looked up from the article that she was reading and found herself wondering what it would feel like to run her fingertips across the stitched scar. She wondered if he would enjoy it or if it would be uncomfortable for him.

Then she wondered how it would feel under her lips.

He definitely wouldn't allow that. She mentally scolded herself for even having the thought.

A blush spread across her cheeks as she forced herself to tear her gaze away from him and look back down at her article. She tried desperately to distract herself from the growing curiosity.

It was a useless battle. Maybe she could understand him a little better now.

He spoke first as she sighed and closed the magazine. "If you have a question, just ask. You've been staring for over an hour, Marie."

He turned to face her and she could see the slight smirk on his face. Her own face was a vivid red as she met his green eyes.

"Well?" he prompted her.

She just shook her head. "I'm going to go and make some lunch, Franken…"

His hand caught hers as she turned from him and a gentle yank was all it took to bring her to him. He slowly pushed her hand against the scar on his face.

"Satisfied?" he released her hand and stood there impassive as her fingertips rested lightly against it.

The blush deepened and she bit her lip as she took a step back and away from him, her hand falling from his face.

"H-how did you-"

"You're my weapon partner. Reading wavelengths isn't exactly difficult for me and you kept staring. It was fairly obvious once I noticed that the neck of my shirt had slipped. I assumed that you would prefer it if I didn't fix it and it was keeping you quiet." There was no trace of condescension in his voice, or the arrogance that she heard him use on occasion with a student. It was simple honesty.

She swallowed and he smirked slightly. "If you have something to ask-"

"Is the one on your back different?" she blurted out.

"It took me longer to do, the stitches weren't set as well due to the angle, so yes, it is different." One swift move left Marie blushing as Stein stood shirtless in front of her. His hand caught hers again and pressed it against his side where the stitches started.

Her breath caught as she stood almost against his chest, her fingertips running across the large scar. She was completely enthralled with the scar, and he stood there as she stepped around him, her fingertips following the scar.

His body stiffened in surprise as he felt her lips press against the scar in the middle of his back. She darted past him then, rushing out of the room. It took a long second for the muscles in his body to relax, but a smirk pulled at his lips as he slipped his shirt back on.

The one that he had intentionally worn because he knew the neck was stretched on it. It was time to receive his payment for what he had allowed her to do.


	28. Props

**A/N: This was a request by greyvvs for the word "humor".**

* * *

He would never completely understand Charlotte's sense of humor. Right now the girl was laughing so hard she was nearly crying as they watched yet another movie that was supposed to be funny. He just shook his head, settling back against the couch, his arm dangling across her shoulders as she ate popcorn from the bowl that was balanced precariously on his knees.

A fresh burst of laughter, full bodied and healthy sounding, as the actors in the movie ran right into the ghost they were trying (unsuccessfully) to flee from. Stein couldn't help but feel his face stretch into a smile as she leaned back against him, a grin on her face.

"You still don't get it, do you?" she asked him innocently.

"No."

"It's just funny. They can't find the way out, and despite trying to get away from it, they keep running into the ghost." She sat upright suddenly, "I bet someone will fall down the stairs soon!"

Sure enough, one of the men was walking backwards as the ghost slowly advanced on him and tripped, tumbling backwards down the stairs. The actors shrieked in fear as Charlotte burst out laughing.

She wiped the corners of her eyes and looked up at him, a goofy grin on her face. She leaned back and yawned.

"That's all right; we have all night to help you learn what's funny."

"I know what is humorous, Charlotte."

"Obviously you don't, Professor," she teased him, pointedly looking back at the screen. Stein just sighed, readjusting himself slightly on the couch.

They watched movies the rest of the night, and it still didn't help him understand just what was so funny about watching someone else acting stupid and having misfortune fall on them. He had never been one for practical jokes, and most of the movies it might as well have been nothing but.

Charlotte eventually fell asleep against him, her breathing slow and steady. Sighing in relief that the night of watching terrible movies was over (even though he did enjoy the feel of her pressed up against his side during it) the scientist scooped the young woman up in his arms and headed to her bedroom. A smirk crossed his face briefly.

Perhaps he did understand the humor in the situation, but it wasn't from the point of the terrified actors, he realized as he walked into the dark room. With a brief chuckle he slipped Charlotte into bed, thankful that Halloween was coming up soon- he would be needing some props.

He did understand the entertainment in scaring someone.


	29. Being Scolded

"How can someone as smart as you be such an idiot?!" Marie's voice rose over the sound of the gear clicking in Stein's head.

"Marie, I don't think that it is that big of a deal-"

"Franken Stein, you get this… this thing out of here right now!"

Stein couldn't help but smirk and chuckle as he brushed past the irate death scythe. He scooped the patchworked experiment up and into his arms, turning to look at Marie as he held it as someone would hold a baby. Technically it was something akin to a child to him.

"Get rid of it!"

"I thought that you liked animals, Marie."

"That one isn't even alive!"

"I can fix that, if that is what is bothering you."

Marie's face paled and Stein smirked again. Her voice was low and serious. "Franken, I'm going to make a nice suggestion to you. Don't leave stuff like that lying around outside your actual work lab. If you do it again, you may find yourself wondering why your dinner is no longer magically appearing on the table."

Stein laughed, and Marie's face contorted in anger. A moment later Stein and the large patchworked rat were on a crash course to the doorway that led to his lab. He hit it hard, but couldn't help but smirk as he stood, untangling his legs from each other.

Even if it was painful, causing Marie to have to admonish him for something was so amusing he wasn't willing to give it up.

* * *

**A/N: This was written from the word "admonish" by Yuuki. I don't own Soul Eater.**


	30. Unfounded Relief

**A/N: This was prompted by the words "squelch" and "interlock" by TheAUWalker. Rating: High T or M.**

* * *

He couldn't stand the sound of shoes squelching on a wet floor, so he retrieved a towel to wipe the dark red colored water up. He wasn't sure where it had come from, but it had a horrendous scent of iron and he was certain that it was bad. Regardless he needed to get it cleaned up, and as he soaked up the dark water with the towel he sighed.

Marie would never forgive him if the dark colored water stained his flooring. He scrubbed harder, concerned when it didn't come up. He stood woodenly to his feet, walking past the operating table, and into a small storage closet. He reached up on a shelf and pulled down a bottle that he routinely used to clean stubborn stains from his tables and the floor.

He simply couldn't fathom what the dark colored liquid was, or where Marie had gone. He did notice that it had splashed on his hands, and once he cleaned the stain from floor he stood and moved over to the sink, washing his hands over and over, watching the dark stain swirl down the sink. It stuck to his hands, and he was forced to scrub them with bleach to remove the smell and the feel of the liquid.

A shudder ran up the scientist's spine that he nothing to do with the cold air in the room. His mind turned over, trying to remember something, but it was as if he was missing the last piece to make the puzzle pieces interlock. He shook his head, reaching up to turn the screw when he realized that whatever it was that had been on his hands was also on the screw.

He walked past the operating table again, his eyes being caught by the way the light was playing against the wall; he didn't look at the table. He maneuvered through the halls of his lab, not noticing that the same dark red water he had cleaned up in the lab was being left behind him in a trail of footprints. He climbed the stairs before stopping outside Marie's door and knocking, even though he couldn't sense her soul inside the room.

With a feeling he couldn't decipher he pushed the door open to an empty room. He stood for a moment, his hand on the door knob, looking into the room before he turned and shut it quietly behind himself. He didn't notice the footprints that had followed him; he just moved to the bathroom and pushed the door open.

He stood still for a moment. That dark red liquid was splashed all over the tub and shower. With a sigh he turned the water on to hot and went to retrieve the cleaning supplies so he could shower. A few minutes later he stood underneath the spray, his pale skin turning red with the heat of the water bringing the blood to the surface of his skin.

It was bringing blood to the surface of his skin.

Blood to the surface.

Blood.

Stein's eyes widened as he stared at the swirling red water, the blood rushing off of his body as the water cascaded down it. He nearly fell as he stumbled out of the shower, Marie's name escaping in a panicked almost scream as he rushed down the stairs. He didn't care that he was soaking wet, or that he was naked. He had to know, he had to prove for himself that she wasn't in the lab, strapped to an operating table that he couldn't remember seeing recently.

Stein came around the corner and hit his knees. A pale hand lay limply over the side of the operating table, blonde hair obscuring the woman's face, falling over the edge of the table. It was a long moment before he could force himself to stand and move to the operating table.

He looked down into a stranger's face. A laugh escaped him in a rush. It was a terrible, terrible thing that he had done, but he found himself incredibly happy that it wasn't Marie lying on the table.

He realized that he should get rid of the body and make sure everything was clean before Marie returned from wherever she was. He went back to the shower and turned it off before wrapping himself in one of his lab coats. He would finish his shower when he had finished cleaning.

It took less than an hour to get the mess cleaned up, and then Stein looked down at the body. He brushed the hair from the woman's face and wondered if she had a family that would be missing her. Something tugged at his mind, a memory that he couldn't quite grasp, and he twisted the screw in his head.

As he picked the body up a black and yellow eye patch fell to the ground, landing in a small pool of blood he had missed cleaning. A minute later he had it loaded into the incinerator and was climbing the stairs to finish his shower.


	31. Solution

It was bamboo wine. She knew that the minute that Spirit uncorked it, and a small smile slipped across her face, despite the cold that was nipping at her nose and sending shivers down her spine. Stein sat beside her, the three of them making a small triangle around the fire. Spirit tilted the bottle up and took a long swig before handing it to Stein, who did the same. Stein then handed the bottle to Charlotte.

She hesitated for a moment, but at Spirit's urging took a drink. It was just as bitter and numbing as she remembered, but it brought back memories of a mission in Asia; it reminded her of dark rooms and sweat; of heat that was hers and wasn't. She smiled into the bottle before handing it back to Spirit.

They passed the bottle around for a while, each taking a drink before handing it to the next. Though it was small, it lasted, none of them wanting to be the last one to take a drink, so the swigs were more sips than anything. They huddled around the fire, telling tales late into the night, the snow flitting around them.

Stein held the bottle, just a little bit left in it. The warmth the alcohol had spread through him was fading, and he felt himself yawn. He released his hold on a bottle when a hand wrapped around it, and looked up just as he heard Charlotte's gasp.

"Giriko?" she said in something between disbelief and surprise.

A moment later the two men had Charlotte behind them, Spirit's arms blades and Stein's wavelength crackling around his hands. The cold was completely forgotten.

"It's fuckin' freezing balls out here and you three are on a camping trip under the stars," the chainsaw said casually, downing what little remained in the bottle. He then proceeded to flop down beside the fire, the bottle discarded beside him. "That all the booze ya got?"

Spirit took the three steps over to the man, his arm reappearing in a flash of light, and grabbed Giriko by what passed as a collar. "What the hell are you doing here, Giriko?"

"There's a fire, and it's cold," Giriko said, shrugging.

"I mean, what are you doing in Alaska, in the middle of nowhere, looking for a fire?"

"That's simple, Red, I wasn't looking for a fire. I was looking for booze and where there's one, there's generally the other. Now I'll ask again, that all ya have?"

Spirit and Stein's gazes met.

"Yeah, that's it, Giriko. You better head on so you can find enough for yourself."

Giriko met Stein's gaze, a smile baring his teeth. "I see what this is. You're just afraid I'll take lil hot cheeks away from ya, is that it? Look around ya, ya damn screw head, there ain't no place around here ta take her." Stein's hand clenched into a fist, and Giriko burst out laughing. "With as possessive as you are, screwie, I can't believe you didn't keep that other broad around too. Thought you'd flip last New Year when extras showed up to ya little party. Where'd she ever get to?"

Spirit's hand fell on Stein's shoulder. "Marie's in Oceania. She is a death scythe, Giriko. We all have responsibilities."

The chainsaw lay back, staring up at the stars, his gloved hands protecting his head from the snow, though the cold didn't really seem to be bothering the man. "Heh. Responsibilities like chasing down some pre-kishin that is devouring souls in a remote section of Alaska where there isn't even a damn town?"

Slowly it dawned on the men that were standing defensively in front of Charlotte what had happened, the chainsaw laying at ease in the snow as if he didn't have a care in the world, as if this wasn't a dangerous area.

Because it wasn't; the entire mission was based on a lie.

"What did you-?" Spirit started.

"Oh, just a rumor here and there, a deer carcass splattered about real good. Thought the doc would enjoy that detail," Giriko chuckled with a wink at Stein. "Worked a charm, ya three trotted out here like good little soldiers."

"So… we've… we've been freezing our asses off in the snow for nothing?" Charlotte asked from behind them. Spirit kept looking at Giriko, but Stein craned his head over his shoulder to glance at Charlotte.

"I wouldn't say nothing, sweet cheeks. Ol' Papa Giriko's got something to show you all."

He moved faster than Stein and Spirit expected, on his feet and his chains engaged before they could blink. Charlotte was in his arms a moment later, the two men left to trudge behind the chainsaw. Charlotte's giggling laughter made both of them shake their heads.

* * *

They were in a cabin, set far back in the woods. A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace, and Giriko stood in front of it, a bottle of whiskey clasped in his hand, his other hand holding onto the mantle as if he would fall if he let go of it. He probably would; they had drank through most of his stock and even as drunk as he was he could feel a bit of upset because of it.

Ah, well, as long as the night went the way he wanted it to it was worth it. With a leer Giriko turned to look at the collected people in the room behind him, and eclectic group of various bottles of alcohol spread amongst them. Stein was the only one on his feet, the other two completely smashed already and asleep on the couch. The scientist was staring out the window into the cold Alaskan night, his breath frosting against it.

Giriko chuckled. _"Lightweights, all of 'em,"_ he thought to himself even as he felt how unstable his own footing was. "Hey, screwhead, ya friends are asleep. That wasn't part of the plan, now was it. Ya three were supposed to be coming out here to take care of that pre-kishin."

Stein's voice was calm and measured, setting the chainsaw back a step. It didn't sound drunk at all and Giriko's eyes widened. "I don't believe that was the plan, was it, Spirit?"

The death scythe gave a low chuckle, and Giriko's eyes flitted over to a very awake and apparently sober looking Spirit.

"No, I don't think it was, Stein. I think the plan was that we were going to prevent Giriko from getting at Charlotte tonight."

"You see, Giriko, I don't normally like to share," Stein said quietly, facing the man. "You were correct; I was upset to find that there were others at my New Year's party, wanting to interfere with something that has been a bit of a tradition for Spirit, Marie and myself. The alcohol went a long way towards my acceptance of the situation. Since that time, Charlotte has found her way into the group. Marie has left, which I suppose has left a gap, but I am not sure that you are the one to replace her." His eyes slid to Spirit and both gave a bit of a laugh.

"What's that sposed to mean?" Giriko demanded angrily, Spirit raising a finger to his mouth to shush the man.

"Charlotte is actually asleep," Spirit explained.

"And the damn laugh?"

"You're the wrong gender. I don't mind sharing with Spirit, but you are a man. That complicates matters." Stein's eyes raked up and down Giriko's body. "Though, I suppose a little surgery could fix that."

The color drained from Giriko's face for a moment before he laughed uproariously. Stein was beside him a moment later, his hand clamping over the chainsaw's mouth. _"Do not wake Charlotte!"_

"Or what, ya damn screwhead?" Giriko said around the hand that was covering his mouth as Spirit moved behind him. Giriko's eyes followed him, the chainsaw a little nervous suddenly.

"Then you won't see the solution that Spirit and I came to regarding your… gender issue." Stein took a step forward as Spirit did, the death scythe's hands settling on Giriko's hips. "I believe you'll be interested in our solution."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed, AU. Charlotte belongs to her, ofc. Written from the OWP of Eclectic.**


End file.
